daylight came to our relief. About eight o'clock we came upon
our own wagon train--the first, and, by the way, the only time we
encountered it on our route--comfortably camped in a fine grove, good
fires, and a glorious smell of cooking permeating the early morning
air. The headquarter wagons of our regiment were parked near a fine
fire, and our servants (never expecting to see us again, I suppose,)
were cooking on a large scale from our private stores for a half dozen
notorious wagon-rats of the genteeler sort.

Of course, as we rode up our boys declared they expected us and were
getting breakfast ready, which statement was sustained by
"messieurs," the wagon-rats; but the longing look they cast at a big
pot of rice steaming by the fire as they drew off, indicated a deeper
interest than I think it possible for them to have gotten up on any
one's account but their own. We had a most comfortable breakfast and a
rest of an hour only, the time being taken up in dozing and eating.

Bad as the night had been the day was a beautiful one. The sun was
shining bright; our breakfast and rest had so refreshed us, short as
that rest was, that we resumed our march and the work before us,
cheerful and ready to meet it, whatever it might be, and what that
"might be" was no man troubled himself to know.

Not long after resuming our march we posted pickets at some cross
roads, under the immediate direction of General R.E. Lee himself. We
moved steadily on to-day without molestation of any kind, the wagons
moving in double lines, the road being wide enough to admit it. About
twelve o'clock or a little later we had halted to water our horses at
a stream that crossed the road. It takes a good deal of time for a
large body of cavalry to water their horses, particularly if the
stream is small, and the men have to be watched closely to prevent
their fouling the water.

I had dismounted and was leaning across my horse, when I saw, as I
thought, Captain Allen, of the Twenty-fourth Virginia, of our brigade,
having watered his horse where the stream crossed the road. The
captain was a fine specimen of a Virginia soldier and gentleman, some
sixty years of age, of fine presence, who was always said to resemble
General Lee, wearing his grey beard trimmed after the fashion of that
of our great leader, and in the saddle having about the same height,
though dismounted, the captain, I should say, was the taller. However,
I watched the old captain, a